Study of incidence of acute renal failure and its associated factors and complications amongst patients admitted in intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Impairment of renal function is a serious complication in critically ill patients. Mortality of acute renal failure remains high ranging from 35% to 86% despite haemodialysis therapy and substantial improvement of dialysis techniques. Therefore attention must be paid to the conditions favouring deterioration of renal function in order to prevent acute renal failure or to intervene in an early phase when less invasive therapies might be even more promising. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai from 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2006. All patients consecutively admitted in intensive care unit were studied. Results: Total number of patients admitted during the said period to the Intensive care Unit was 406, of which 50 had evidence of acute renal failure. The incidence of acute renal failure in the critically ill patients included in our study was 12.31%. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of fluid overload, oliguria and hyperkalemia between the pre-renal and renal failure groups. Conclusion: The incidence of acute renal failure in the critically ill patients was 12.31% and commonest predisposing factors associated with acute renal failure were acute insults like hypotension, sepsis and risk factors like age >50 years and pre-existing renal disease.